Transitional coupler



Sept. 19, 1.933.

E. P. KlN'NE TRANS IT IONAL COUPLER Filed Sept. '7, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnUe'TI-r; EdmundPjne.

Ey a @s Spt. 19, 1933. y E. P. KINNE 1,927,268

TRANSITIONAL COUPLER Filed sept. 7, 192s 2 sheets-sheet 2 lnverr Edmund F 167mg.

By WM,

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 PATENT orifice 'raANsI'rIoNAL ooUrLER Edmund P. Kinne, Alliance, Ohio, assigner toV American Steel Foundries, Chicago, lill., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 7, 1928 Serial No.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to transitional coupler mechanism for railway cars.

It is common practice in many foreign countries to couple railwayl cars by means including hooks mounted for movement in a vertical plane. In certain of said foreign countriessteps are being taken toward the adoption of a stand-ky `ard coupler such as used in the United States, but inasmuch as the transition from one type to another cannot be made simultaneously, means must be provided for coupling cars with the old and new apparatus.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide such means which may be readily applied to and withdrawn from standard couplers, and which is simple, durable, relative- 1y inexpensive and efficient in operation, f

Another object is to provide transitional coupler mechanism in which the main transitional part may be securely locked behindthe pulling face of the coupler knuckle and which has a suit-v able bufier portion for cooperating with a buffer portion on a foreign type of coupler.

Another object is to provide, as an article of manufacture, a transitional coupler part which is simple and durable in construction and which cooperates with thehead and knuckle of the coupler and is provided with a buffer portion in a manner to meet the Various requirements under actual service conditions.

These and other objects are accomplished by means of the arrangement disclosed on the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which- 35,` Figure 1 is avragmentary top plan view of the adjacent ends of coupled railway cars, one of which is equipped with the hook type of coupler and the other with the automatic type of coupler embodying my improved transitional coupier mechanism; f

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same; l

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the automatic coupler showing the transitional or auxiliary Yfcoupler member attached thereto with parts of 45 the coupler and auxiliary member being swung slightly from their normal positions preparatory to the auxiliary or transitional coupler member being swung into the inoperative position indicat- 50 'ed by dotted lines; and Y Figure 4 is a side elevation of the automatic coupler showing the transitional coupler member in its normal operative or locked position.

The various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the gures of the drawings, it will be seen that one of the cars l0 is provided with the usual automatic coupler 11 and the other car 12 provided with a hook type of coupler 13 in which the hook 14 is pivotally mounted upon a horizontal pin 15 whereby the hook 14 may be moved in a vertical plane during its coupling and uncoupling movements. The hook type of coupler includes a head 16 which terminates in a buffer portion 17.

The automatic coupler 11 is provided with the usualguard arm 18, and with the usual knuckle 19 which is pivotally connected to the head by a pin 20 at a point opposite the guard arm 18.y

.The auxiliary or transitional-coupler member includes two arms 21 and 22, the former of which is pivotally connected to ears 23 formed on the outside of the guard arm 18. The'other arm 22, when the transitional coupler member is in its operative position, extends through ahorizontal slot 24 in the knuckle 19.` Near the rear endof the arm 22 are oppositely extending projections 25, which engage the pulling face of the knuckle 19 whereby said transitional coupler member 21 v is normally held in operative or locked position, The rearward end of the arm 22 is of the proper contour to ll the space in behind the knuckle 19 when the latter is in its closed position. It will be understood that the knuckle 19 is locked in its closed position in the usual manner.

The intermediate portion of the transitional coupler member 2l is provided with an integral-- ly formed, forwardly extending projection 25 which terminates in a buier 27 which cooperates with the buier 17A on the old type of coupler. The projection 2G, including an upper portion or the'buffer 27, is cut away or provided with a slot 28, through which the hook 14 may pass, said intermediate projection 26 of the transitional coupler member being provided with a web 29 over which the coupler hook 14 may pass and with which said coupler hook may be latched and .unlatched The couplers, including the transitional coupler member, are shown in their normal operative positions in Figure l, it being understood that the coupler parts are shown in the positions which they occupy during the pulling action. Under such circumstances, in order to centralize the transitional coupler member 21 with the hook coupler 13, the automatic coupler 11 is swung slightly from its central position. For this reason and to provide proper side clearance, the

lateral dimension of opening 33 may be increased in the original manufacture of the device, and later when only automatic couplers are used, the said lateral dimension may be decreased by suitable iiller plates.

In Figure 3 the knuckle 19 is unlocked and swung into an open position preparatory to the transitional coupler member 2l being swung from its normal operative position into the position shown in the dotted lines. As shown in full lines, the transitional coupler member has been swung a given amount from its normal operative position. The transitional coupler member 21 may be locked in its inoperative position by passing a pin 30 through an opening 3l in the transitional coupler member 21 and a corresponding opening 32 in one of the ears 23. The various parts in -their cooperation in the transitional coupler mechanism are adapted to meet all of the requirements under actual service conditions.

It is my intention to cover all modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head having a pivotally mounted knuckle, and an auxiliary member connected to said head and knuckle when the latter is in its locked position, saidmember having a hurling portion extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle, said member having means for attaching an opposing coupler thereto.

2. In coupler mechanism, the combination of `a coupler head provided with a guard arm and an -'oppositely disposed pivotally mounted knuckle, and an auxiliary member connected to said guard arm and normally held in operative position by engagement with said knuckle when the same is in a locked position, said member having a buier Jvportion extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle, said member having means for attaching an opposing coupler thereto.

3. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head provided with a guard arm and an toppositely disposed pivotally mounted knuckle, an auxiliary member having'two arms and an intermediate buffer portion, and means for connecting one of said arms to said guard arm, the other of said arms having means for connecting said member to said knuckle when the same is in a locked position, said buffer portion extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle, said member having means Yfor attaching an opposing coupler thereto.

4. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head provided with a guard arm and an oppostelydisposed pivotally mounted knuckle, an auxiliary member, means for connecting said member to said guard arm, said member having means engaging the pulling face of said knuckle when the same is in its locked position, said member having a buffer portion extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle, said buffer portion having a slot adapted to receive a hook of an opposing coupler engageable with said member.

5. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head having a pivotally mounted knuckle, said knuckle having spaced portions,. an auxiliary member connected to said head and having'an arm receivable between said knuckle portions when said knuckle is in a locked position, said arm having spaced shoulders adapted to receive the nose of said knuckle therebetween whereby said member is held in operative association with said head and knucklesaid member having a buffer portion extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle and being provided with means for attaching an opposing coupler thereto.

6. In coupler mechanism, the combination of a coupler head having a pivotally mounted knuckle, said knuckle having spaced portions, an auxiliary member connected to said head and having an arm receivable between said knuckleV portions when said knuckle is in a lockedV position, said arm having spaced shoulders adapted to receive the nose of said knuckle therebetween whereby said member is held in operative association with said head and knuckle, said member having a buffer portion 'extending outwardly beyond and laterally overlying said knuckle and having attaching means for an opposing coupler.

EDMUND P. KINNE. 

